brooks



(No Model.)

I. W. BROOKS, LEAD SEAL.

No. 595,989. Patented Dec. 21, 1897'.

WITNESSES Jmmw zwmw ATTORNEY,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN W. BROOKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LEAD SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,989, dated December21, 1897. Application filed March 22, 1897. Serial No. 628,724. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN W. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lead Seals; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in leadseals. 7

It has for its object to secure accurate adjustment within theseal-press in order that the impression made by the dies shall beproperly and positively centered and also to secure a comparativelylarge field for said impressions.

It has also for a further object to secure a more perfect anchor andinterlocking of the ends of the shackle-wire; and with these ends inView my invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangementof soft-metal body and shackle-wire, as hereinafter more fullydescribed, and illustrated in the drawings.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertainsmay fully understand the same, I will proceed to describe theconstruction, arrangement, and advantages of the same, referring byletters to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a centralvertical section of one of my improved seals. Figs. 2 and 3 are similarviews of modifications thereof. Fig. i is a View similar to Fig. 1,showing the wire anchored in the head or cap. Fig. 5 is a similar viewshowing another form of anchor for the wire. Fig. 6 is a plan view ofone side of the seal after compression. Fig. 7 is a similar view of theopposite side. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views showing two methods ofenlarging or distending the anchor end of the shackle-wire. Fig. 10 is aperspective View of the seal with the form of wire shown at Fig. 8, andFig. 11 is a similar view showing the use of a wire in the form seen atFig. 9.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

The seal proper is composed, preferably, of soft lead having a base a ofenlarged diameter and adapted to rest against the back wall of thethroat or slot in the ordinary sealingpress in order that the head orcap b of the seal shall be properly centered under the upper or movabledie of a press, and also for the purpose of presenting a large field orarea to receive the impression from the lower or stationary die. Thisbase portion a may be of comparative attenuated proportion incrosssection to secure economy in the use of material.

Rising from the base a is an annular or ring-shaped platformc, andrising centrally from the space within the ring-shaped platform 0 isashank d, terminating in a comparatively thin cap I), the diameter ofwhich is substantially equal to the interior of the ringshaped platform.

The shackle-wire c has one end thereof cast in the soft metal, and theother end is left free to be wound around the shank d after it has beenpassed through a car-door staple or around or through any package whichthe seal is designed to protect. It will be seen that the annular spaceor recess between the interior boundary of the ring-shaped platform aand the central shank cl constitutes a housing or pocket for theretaining-coils of the shacklewire, so that no unnecessary resistance isoffered to the approach and action upon the soft metal of the dies ofthe sealing-press.

I have shown the anchored end of the shackle-wire secured in position inseveral distinct ways, any one of which may be employed, though I preferthat shown in Fig. 1, in which the end of the wire passing within thethin base a traverses upward through the shank cl and terminates in acoil or otherwise distended condition horizontally within the cap 12. Itmay, however, pass through the ring-shaped platform 0, thence up throughthe shank and into the head or cap, as shown at Fig. 2, or directly intothe shank and thence up into the head or cap 19, as shown at Fig. 3, orit may in each case terminate in the shank without extending into thecap, although I prefer that it should terminate within the cap. The wiremay, however, pass directly into the head or cap I) in a straightdiametric line, as shown at Fig. 4, so that the anchored terminus mayunder compression between the dies of the sealing-press be distendedthrough the straightening out of the crimps and thus increase thedifiiculty of withdrawing the wire from the soft metal. This diiiicultymay be increased by forming the ends of the wire with serrations orbarbs or by crimping the same in the manner Well known to manufacturersof lead seals.

While I prefer the exact form shown at Fig. 1, it will be observed byreference toFig. 2 that instead of the annular recess surrounding theshank d, intersecting the Vertical interior wall of the ring-shapedplatform 0, as shown at said figure, it may merge by a gradual curvewith said wall, as shown at Fig. 2, and as a modification of the formsshown at Figs. 1 and 2 I may dispense entirely with the recesssurrounding the shank and construct the soft-metal body with theextended base and solid platform with the shank and cap rising from thelatter. In this latter construction, however, the ductility of the metalis depended upon to permit of the forcing of the wire coils surroundingthe shank into the body of the platform, and for that reason is lessdesirable than the forms of construction shown at Figs. 1 and 2 but inall cases, however, it will be seen that the advantages of the broadthin base for properly centering the seal within the press and providingample area for the clear impression of any suitable data or characterswithin the metal are secured.

The construction shown in the several figures involve, as is clearlyseen, the disposition of the entire amount of metal in such form thatthe pressure of the dies is applied successively, and thus less power isrequired than would be the case if the entire resistance is offered atone time.

Having described the construction and advantages of my improved seal,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A soft-metal seal embodying in its organization a comparatively thinand enlarged base portion a having rising vertically therefrom aring-shaped platform a of less diameter than the base, a central shank dsurrounded by a recess or pocket and surmounted by a cap I), incombination with a shacklewire e, having one end anchored within thebody of the seal and the opposite end adapted to be coiled about theshank cl, substantially as hereinbei'ore set forth.

2. A soft-metal seal embodying in its organization a comparatively thinand enlarged base a, a smaller vertical platform 0, a central shank d,and cap 11, in combination with a shackle-wire 6 having one end anchoredwithin the soft-metal body and the other adapted to be coiled about theshank (1, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN w. BROOKS.

\Vitnesses:

N. CURTIS LAMMOND, WALLACE MURDocK.

